What is Korfball?

Find out about the greatest sport you've never heard of...

The Basics of Korfball
It’s a mixed-sex sport as men and women play on the same teams however the men only mark the men and vice-versa! You need to work as a team as you can’t dribble with the ball like basketball, but the footwork rules aren’t as strict as netball! If you’re being defended, you can’t shoot so you need to beat your defender first to take a shot – it makes for a fast paced game and teamwork is essential!

You can’t tackle anyone or take the ball from their hands, so go for interceptions to stop the attackers scoring or keep the pressure on until the shot clock runs down. There are no positions in korfball but half the team starts in defence and the other half in attack and you switch every time two goals have been scored. A goal is scored by shooting the ball through the korf, which is roughly in the middle of each half meaning you can attack from all angles.

Korfball Through the Ages
A Dutch school teacher invented korfball in 1902 – so his pupils could play together. Since then, the sport has been featured in the Olympics twice, in both 1920 and 1928. It was considered a very controversial sport because both men and women played on the same teams. Today it is played all over the world and on every continent: indoors, outdoors, and on sand.

Cardiff Korfball
We have teams that compete in the Welsh Korfball League, the English Western Regional League and the EKA Promo Division – just below the English National League! Alongside this, we have many social and recreational members who take part in our social leagues and charity tournaments, as well as outdoor summer leagues and tournaments – including Beach Korfball.

We are currently the reigning champions of Wales, with our first team fighting for promotion to the English National League. Many of our members play recreationally, as a way to socialise and keep fit, but we also have players who have been selected to play for Wales. Whatever you’re looking for, come and try korfball for free with us!

We even had the BBC come to try it a few years back…